Condenser system for mechanical refrigeration



Jan. 16, 19.34. w. FQURNESS 1,943,759

CONDENSER SYSTEM FOR MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION Filed Sept. 19, 1952 Ekpans/an Va/re \NVENTOR l l/i/r F mcss B 21m) ATTORN EY Patented Jan. 16, 1934 CONDENSER. SYSTEM FOR MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION Wilfred Fourness, Oakland, Calif aaaignor to The Fonrness Development Corporation, Ltd., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 19, 1932 Serial No. 633,752

2 Claims. (01. 257-487) This invention relates to mechanical refrigeration.

In such systems, use is made of a readily vaporizable liquid, such as sulfur dioxide, ammonia, or ethyl chloride, which passes through a definite heat exchange cycle, which will be now briefly set forth.

The liquid is passed to an expansion space in controlled quantities, as by an expansion valve. The expansion space is usually in the formof a coil of pipes located in a compartment to be refrigerated or cooled, and provides a region of low pressure where the refrigerating liquid can quickly evaporate. This evaporation absorbs heat from the space. The gas or vapor from the coils is led to a gas compressor. This compressor compresses the gas, which is then led to a condenser, to return it to a liquid state. Thence the cycle is repeated.

When the gas or vapor is compressed, its temperature is quite'high, and the condenser must be provided with cooling means to reduce it to a value such that it can be liquefied. Preferably, the condensed liquid should be made as cool as possible, because then the outlet pressure at the compressor need not be excessive. Under ordinary weather conditions, this requirement is quite readily met by simple air cooling of the pipes or coil in the condenser, through which the refrigerant is passed. The air is simply blown or drawn over the pipes, as by a fan. Such a cooling arrangement is very similar to the radiator installation in water cooled automobile engines.

However, when the air temperature is extremely high, as in some parts of Arizona during the summer (where the temperature may reach as high a value as 125 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit), such simple air cooling is inadequate to maintain the operation of the refrigerating system and compressor at a satisfactory efficiencyi This condition has been met with on portable motor truck refrigerating units, inwhich the refrigerated compartment is incorporated in the truck body, and used to transport perishable commodities from the Pacific coast of Arizona or similar localities.

It is thus one of the objects of this invention to make it possible at will to supplement the air cooling means, as for example by a system that circulates water in divided state over the condenser pipes, the dry atmosphere serving to evaporate the moisture so rapidly as to provide the desired cooling effect.

It is another object of the invention to provide a water evaporation cooling system that can supplement the air cooling means for the condenser.

The water being used can be recirculated except for the evaporation loss, by the aid of a pump operated by the same source of power that operates the compressor.

This invention possesses many other advan- 5 tages, and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of this invention. For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification. This form shall now be described in detail, which illustrates the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by 79 the appended claims. v

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagram of a portable motor truck refrigerating system in which the invention is incorporated; f

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the plane 33 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view taken along the plane 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the present instance there is shown a compartment 1, such as the body of a motor truck or the like, which is to be cooled or refrigerated. For this purpose use is made of a convoluted coil 2 which is located in this compartment and in which the liquid refrigerant vaporizes for the absorption of heat.

The supply of refrigerant to the coil 2 isprovided from a cooled receiver 3 from. which the conduit 4 leads. This conduit is connected to w coil 2 through various control instrumentalities, such as a control valve 5, a strainer 6 and an expansion valve 7. The control valve 5 operates in accordance with the description set forth in the copending application filed in the name of Wilfred Fourness, Serial No. 519,799 filed March 3, 1931, for Fluid control. The function of the cooled receiver 3 is described in still another application, filed in the name of Wilfred Fourness, Serial No. 602,968, filed April 4, 1932, for Refrigerating system. In view of these two prior applications, it is considered unnecessary to detail the mode of operation of these instrumentalities, especially since the present invention is not directly concerned therewith.

The evaporated gas in coil 2, after it has served to absorb its quota of heat, is conducted through control valve mechanism 5, and a conduit 8 to a cooling coil 9 located in the receiver 3 for cooling the liquid refrigerant in this receiver. From 110 coil 9 the evaporated refrigerant is passed to a compressor 10. This compressor is mechanically operated by the aid of a shaft 11. In the present instance shaft 11 is arranged to be power driven alternately either by an electric motor 12, or a transmission mechanism 13 which derives its power from the gasoline engine of the truck incorporating the refrigerating system.

The compressed gas passes by way of a conduit 14 to a condenser structure 15 for liquefying the gas; and thence a conduit 16 leads the liquefied refrigerant to the intermediate receiver 3, forming the last element of the closed cycle just traced. The liquid refrigerant is then repassed through the expansion or evaporating coils 2, and the cycle is repeated.

The present invention relates more particularly to the structure of the condenser 15. This condenser as shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 4, comprises a convoluted conduit 17 having radiating fins 18 thereon. The convolutions in this instance are in three layers, the gas from conduit 14 passing in at the top and the liquefied refrigerant passing out to conduit 16 at the bottom. A frame 19 is provided, that encompasses the coil 17. This frame is open at the front and back, so that a draft of air can be passed over the convolutions 17 by the aid of fans 20 and 21. These fans can be mounted on shaft 11 for operation simultaneously with the operation of compressor 10. The movement of air produced 'by fans 20 and 21 is in a direction from left to ing action of this stream of air over the coils 17 is sufficient to produce condensation of the compressed gases. However, under abnormal conditions, where the air is extremely hot, this cooling'efl'ectdoes not relieve the compressor 10 from perating on comparatively high outlet pressures. This occurs for example when operating the truck in such hot and dry regions as in some parts of Arizona or other Southwestern States, where the air temperature may reach a value considerably over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Under such circumstances, the cooling effect of the air stream should be supplemented, and the present arrangement provides for a simple and compact structure for accomplishing this result.

Thus water is supplied through a conduit 23 to a spray head 24 (Figs. 2 and 4). This spray head is located above the convolutions 17 and has a series of jets 25 through which the water is discharged. This water in the form of spray, is received on a sloping spreader plate 26. The slope of this plate is such that the water drips toward the coils 17 and is drawn by the air stream in divided condition through the frame 19. The air stream serves to distribute the subdivided water on substantially all of the turns 17; and due to the low humidity, the water vaporizes and produces a cooling effect on the turns 17.

The water supplied to the spray head 24 can be circulated as by the aid of a small pump 27, operated as by a belt 28 from shaft 11. This pump has an inlet conduit 29 leading to the bottom of a water tank 30. The bottom of the condenser structure 15 is located in this water tank. This tank is replenished with water when required, and especially to replace the loss by evaporation. It may be provided with baffles 31 to prevent the water from spilling when the motor truck is in transit.

The outlet of pump 27 is connected to the conduit 23 which supplies the water to the sprayer head 24.

In order to recirculate the water which is not evaporated, use is made of a series of staggered and spaced baflie plates 32, 33 and 34. These baffle plates are indicated most clearly in Fig 3, and are arranged in a spaced series so as not to impede the air stream produced by the fans 20 and 21. However, they serve to capture the unevaporated water, which flows down these baffle plates and finally is received in the tank 30. For this purpose the plates 32, 33 and 34 are located immediately back of the condenser structure 15 and above the right hand portion 35 of the tank cover. This portion can slope downwardly to lead the water thus collected back tothe tank 30.

It is of course understood that various valves may be introduced in the system, such as indicated at 36, 37, 38 and 39, to make it possible to disconnect the compressor 10 or the expansion coil 2 from the system when desired. Furthermore, pump 2'7 can be rendered inactive when desired, in order to render the water spraying system inactive. This can be accomplished by any well known form of clutching mechanism or by simply removing the belt 28.

I claim:

1. In a condenser cooling device for a refrigerating system, a multi-layer convoluted conduit forming a condenser space, a fan for passing air around the conduit, a spray head above the conduit, having a series of jets directed downwardly over the conduit, a spreader plate sloping downwardly toward the conduit and below the jets, a series of staggered bafile plates back of the conduit, a tank for collecting liquid at the bottom of the conduit and the battle plates, and means for circulating an evaporizable liquid from the tank to the spray head.

2. In a condenser cooling device for a refrigerating system, a convoluted conduit structure forming a condenser space, means for passing air past the conduit structure from one side to the other thereof, means for supplying a spray of a cooling liquid so that it is drawn in by the air through the structure, a series of staggered baffle plates on that side of the structure Where the spray emerges, for collecting moisture from the spray, without interfering with the passage of the air, and a tank at the bottom of the structure for collecting liquid.

WILF'RED FOURNESS. 

